Rub-a-dub-dub

Talitha had her first bath when she was three weeks old. Marginally terrified, we let my mum do it. OK, we would have figured it out in the end but she was there and the newborn was screamy so we went for the easy option.

My mother filled the awkward baby bath with water, set it on top of the toilet and showed us how to hold and wash our daughter. Talitha howled the whole time. Mummy assured us that she would one day enjoy bath time. I was doubtful. I couldn’t imagine anything getting easier. You can’t when you’re in survival mode.

Of course, it happened. I think bath time may possibly be her happiest time of day. She plays, she babbles, she drinks the bath water, she tries to stand up. I’m all business when it comes to bathing her but it’s become a real bonding time for her and Laurence.

The tub, however, was quickly abandoned. It just takes up too much room and as I said, it’s awkward. We just got fed up of having it about so stuck it in the garage, possibly for evermore. Our life with a baby bath was at an end, surely…

…except we’re using one again. Whitestep sent us a Real Cool World Flexi Bath bath tub. I agreed to review it thinking it would be ideal for times we go to other people’s houses for the weekend. You know, people who *gasp* don’t have a bath. Not that we can’t then use a sink but that can get a tad annoying and we are SO lazy.
The Flexi Bath folds up small and tidy so we can just tuck it in the bathroom corner when it’s not in use or chuck it in the car when we’re going away. We’re thinking of going camping this year so I’m thinking this is when it will really come into it’s own.

Laurence was a bit uncertain about the whole thing. I think he’s just got used to Talitha freely roaming our massive bath. The appeal for him is that the Flexi Bath is small and so conserves water. Talitha seems perfectly happy in it. However, I’ve got to say that those two children in one Flexi Bath on the packaging were definitely in a size larger than ours. I’m pretty sure ours is a one bambino only deal.

I never bathed Talitha as a newborn. I was too skittish about it. So I asked Laurence what he thought about it as a bath for a newborn. He reckons that it’s a little awkwardly shaped for resting your arm while supporting a wobbly tiny one but that we’d likely use it anyway because it’s better than having a massive bath knocking about when not in use and getting in the way.

I was amazed at how little there was on the packaging in the way of instructions. There are a few precautions like don’t let them stand up (and really, don’t, it’s proper slippery as Talitha has demonstrated a couple of times) which you shouldn’t do in a bath anyway.

Other than that, it came with a handbook which just says in lots of different languages that the Flexi Bath is a really good idea. You know what? All in all, I think it is.

Circus Queen tells my story as mother, migrant and writer. It’s also the space where I explore issues I’m particularly interested in. At the moment, there’s a lot of talk about breastfeeding and gentle parenting.

About Circus Queen

Hello! I'm Adele and I blog regularly about gentle parenting, spirituality, style, feminism, learning at home, books and anything else that feels like it fits. Circus Queen has been, since 2010, my space to think out loud, raise awareness and, hopefully, entertain. I'm a Trinidadian living in Bristol, UK, with my British husband, our two little daughters, and our two rather silly cats.